Cushioned tip



June 24, 1930. uw. A. voLLMER cUsHIoNED TIP Filed N Ov. 21. 1927 Trne Patented Jene 24, 1930 Y :UNITED smresjr f WILLIAM `n.

cUsHIoNn TIP 'Y f `.'lppne,ation leaf November 21,v 19a?. g seriei Ne. 234,603.

I `This-*invention relates to tips for chair legs or the like, and more particularly to Vtips having a cushion for engaging the floor on f which the chairV orother articlev of furniture 5l is supported. y .i n y; p The objects vof thekinvention aretopr'ovide a simple "cushioned tip Y construction which can be cheaply andeconomically 'mani' ufaetured; toprovidea cushioned tip having means whereby the same may be mounted in the lower end of a chair leg or the like and.l

particularlyv inA the. lower `end of a tubular metal leg ,toprovide a tip which will Vnotbe likely to, scratch or otherwisefmar the Hoor `whichit engages, even after ythe cushion elef ment is worn away yto such an extentthat it no longer supports the load; to'provide a tip structure which canbe easily and quickly removed and replaced with a new' tip .when the first one becomes fworn; andin general, to provide an improved tip of the :class described.f K v ,z Other objects Y and advantages of the' invention will ber understood Vby reference 'to the following specification and accompany` ing drawing in which `Ifhave Ydescribed and illustrated a selected yembodiment.ofthe invention. w "i, I f

In the drawing: e

ing myjinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section throughthe axis of the tip, andshowing the same as it lappears when mounted inthe lower'end of `a tubur lar metalcha'irleg or the like, and

Figs. 3, 1, 5 and 6 are sections illus-@tratel ing successive v,steps v1n construction`- ofmy- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of atipembodyi Referring nowto the ydrawing, my im?VV base plate. so asto constitute :a

the mounting member inthe legi `The arms 17. "Portions ofthe arms. lfand l4e'are vormden, or xnnosifrmwisconsm, `AssIeNoR To sIMMoNscoMrANY, j or NEW Yon1 '1\r.'Y.,1ArCQRI'QRATIONOF'DELAWARE` A one piece .mounting member, and the same extend up-r wardlyfrom the inner edge ofthe shoulder preferably widened, as ,shown at'19 land 20, l Y. and V"shapedlin crosssection'so'as to conform togtheV shape' of the inside of the legfwhich` they'are intendedtto engage, thereby to increase the area 'of frictionalv 'engagement so as tosecurely hold the mount in piaceA on the leg.)k .Theupper ends 21 and 22 of the arms 13 and 14eTrespactively',v are preferably some@ whatnarrowed andextend inwardly towards eachother ,into abutting. engagement `as Y shown at 23C, in]`ig.2, the extremities of the J arms "being preferably; turned upward, to form-relatively wide engaging surfaces. d f

l, the' 'upwardlyextending arms 19'and 2O'` are preferably As :best shown inf Fig'.

swung apart somewhat, soV that theirk upper ends donot abut whenY the tipis not mounted inaleg the mount is'in'serted into' the inside of the kwards each Other so as v abuttingengagement at their upper ends, as shown in Fig. 2. l Such engagement then serves to p'reventtoo"freeliiexing or com-` pression of the armstowards eachother and causes furthereoinpression to be effected by `springing or flexing yofthe narrower upper endfportions 21v and 22 of ythe arms, It 'will thusbe seen that thev mountwill be firmlyheld by'frictionel engagement in theV recess of theleg. p n i lTherecess provided inthe base plate 11" is for the purpose of receiving la cushion kmember which preferably includes a fcushion v plug orelement 24 and a cup-shaped membe'r 25. The cup-shaped member is `formed with Aan inwardly projecting annular flange portionf26' which is continued outwardly ,andrearwardly 'as shown'v at27, so as to forin a smooth, preferably convex, outwardp `v`ly facing bottomofedge or surface 28, and

also/so as to engage the lbase plate 11 as shownfat ,29. y preferably convex, but `smooth surface,

The bottom surfaee 28 is twill". be understood ,that when` ileg, kthe arms19iand20 are compressed toto establish the in the manu'f'acture free from sharp corners, will` be quite serviceable. The cup is secured in the recess preferably by being spot-welded to the bottom wall of the recess as shown at 80, and the cushion member24, preferably of compressible material, such as felt, is locked-in place in the cup' member in any suitable manner, for instance, by having a portion intermediateits inner and o uterends compressed by the inwardly projecting, annular flange 26. It will thus be seen that the cup member is securely fastenedin place in the recessv of the mounting member 10, and that the cushion member is releasably locked in the cup member.

It will be yapparent that when the cushion member wears down completely, the entire tip structure may be replaced by withdrawing the mountv from the chair leg and ref placing it with anew one, or the cushion element alone may beremoved from thecup part and a new cushion element inserted. It will further be noted that when the cushion member 24 wears down to the point where itno longer sustains Lany of the load of the article which it is` intended to 'support, the outwardly facing cornerless (free from sharp corners) edge 28 ofthe cup member will take up the load, Vand being smooth, as above described, will not scratch or mar the iioor or other surface on which it rests, even though the articlek which ity supports is slid across suchfsurface.

ln Figs. 3 LIl, 5 and 6, certain of the steps of my improved tip are shown. Fig. 3 is a section showing the lower end portion of the mounting member as it appears A before 'the recess 12 is formed therein. The mounting member is'initially formed with a convex over a fioor without scratching the same. Hence, my improved tip stri'icture includes an elementivhich of itself ,forms a complete and operative tip.

YFor changing this initial tip structure from the convex surfaced type to a cushioned tip. Iforce the convex portion 31 inwardly of the tip to form the recess 12 as shown in Fig. 4. A cup member having a bottom wall 32, side wall 33 and outwardly Aextending annular rim flange 34, is' then seated in the recess 12 and secured therein preferably by spot-welding the vbottom wall 82 of the cup tothe bottom wallof the recess-12; The portion ofthe wall 33 of the cup adjacent ,theV iiange'l is then s waged inwardly to form the inwardly proJecting annular' 'shoulder 2G as shown in Fig. 6

During this operation, thecushion member i seated in the cup, lf the cushion member is so seated, it will be obvious ,that the same will be interlocked with the cup when the annular shoulder 2 6 isifo'rmed therein, a portion of the cushion bottom surface 31, whichin itself is adaptedV to glide smoothly being compressed as shown at 35 during the formation of the said annular shoulder. After the shoulder is thus formed, the outwardly extending annular flange 34: is turned rearwardly of the cup into engagement with the base plate 11 ofthe mounting v member so as to form the outwardly facing rounded bottom face 28, as shown in Fig. 2.

If the cushion member 24; is not seated in the cup whenthe shoulder 2b is formed, Athe cushion may be inserted after the rounded face 28 is formed on the cup, the shoulder 26 being effective to sufficiently compress the cushion member to lock it in place.

The tip thus formed presents a neatappearanc'e, is strong and serviceable, and may be readily replaced when necessary; l

'lhe above described details o'f construction are merely illustrative'ofa single embodiment of the invention, for which reason vthe scopeof the Asinne should be determined reference to the following claims, which should be construed as broadly as possible consistent'with the state ofv the art.

- I claim 'a's my. invention: j

1.,Ina tip of the class described, the com-V binatin of a cup-shaped member, a cushion seated in saidv inember and projecting therefrom, and' means for vmounting said cup member and cushion o'n a leg or the like having a recess in its lowerwend, said means comprisingv a 'one-piece member .having an endwall provided with' a recess for receiving said cupv member, the outer edge of said wall being turned 'upwardly and Ainwardly to forni a shoulder vfor receiving the lower end of said leg, and a plurality of arms, integral with' said end 'Wall and extending upwardly" from the inner edge of 'said ys'limliiler for entering said recess and vfricti'onally engagin'ga portion of VIthe side wall thereof. I v

2. In a tip of the class described, th'e combination of a cup-shaped member includingbottom and s'i'de walls, therim portion of the side Wall being turned inwardly, then outwardly, and then rearwardly, so as to form anfinivardlyprojecting shoulder and `a smooth, cornerle'sj's, outwardly facing edge on the cup, a cushion seated insaid cup and having a portion compressed by' said inwardly projecting shoulder for' locking v.the

cushion in the cup, and means for mounting the cu'p and cushion on a leg o'r the like having a recess in ts'fend, comprising-a onepie'ce member including an end wall 4provided With a recess fo'r receiving said cup, the outer ledge 'of sai'dend Wall being turned upwardly inwardly to form a for receiving the'l'ower end of said leg, and a plurality 'of arms integral with s'aid end Vwall and extending upwardly from the inner edge of said shoulder, for entering said recess and frictionally'engaging the side Wall shoulder vlio 3. A tip of the class described, including a vcompressible cushion member, means vfor mounting the cushion member oii'the end of a leg or the like and including a cup-shaped member adapted to receive said cushion, said Vcup member comprising bottomand "side walls,the rim portion of the side wall being turned inwardly, then outwardly, and then slidel over la Hoor surface or vthe like, withoutV scratching or injuring the same when-the cushion member is worn away. l

In a tip of the classdescribfed, the com-` rearwardly, soasto form an inwardly projecting 'shoulder adapted to compress apor- `4tion of the cushion intermediate its `jends for locking the cushion in the'cup and so as to form an outwardly facing cornerless edge portionon the cup, which edge portion is adapted to slide over aiioor surface or, the like, without scratching or inJuring the same when the cushion member is worn away. s Y,

ll. A tip of the class described, including la compressible cushion inembenlmeans for mounting the cushion member on the end of a leg or the like and including acup-shaped member adapted to `receive said cushion, said i Vcup member `comprising bottom and side walls, the rim portion of the side wallbeiiig bentso as to forma iange extending inwardly from vand laterally of the side wall of the c up member,for engaging and locking the cushion inthe cup, and said `rim portionwbeing also bent so as to formV anout-v `wardly facing cornerless edge portion on the cup, which edge portion is'adapted to y loinatioii of a cup-shaped member having bottom andV side` walls, the rim portion of the side wall beingrturned inwardly, then outs wardly, and thenrearwardly, so as to forml an inwardly projecting shoulder and a4 smooth, rounded,4 outwardly facing edge on t the cup, a cushion seated in said cup and having a lportion'compressed ,by said iii-` wardly projecting shoulder and thereby in terlocked with the cup, and means for mount.-

ing the cup and cushion on a leg or the like havin@w a recessin its end said `means en e 7 comprising a one-piece member including an end wall, the outer edge of'which is turned 6. Ina tip of the class described, the coming a recess intermediate its en ds for receiving said shoulder, whereby the cup and cushion are interlocked, means for mounting the cup and cushion on a hollow leg or t-he like,

comprising a one-piece member including an end wall provided with a recess for receiving Y said cup, the outer edge of vsaid end wall bef ing turned upwardly and inwardly to form 4a shoulder for receiving the lower end of said leg, and a pluralityoffarms.integral with said end V.wall and extending'upwardly at opposite sides of the end wall from the fr inner edge ofjsaid shoulder, said arms being adapted to be compressed toward each other so as to be capable o f snugly fitting the inside ofthe leg and frictionally engaging the same, the upper.` ends of said armsbeing bent engagement when the armsl frict-ionallyy engage the inside of the leg,thereby to. insurev tight frictional engagement between said arms and the inside of the'leg.

7. In combination, a cushion tip member,

and means for mounting `said tip member on aleg or the like provided with-'a recess in yits end, said vmeans comprisingl a one-piece .mounting member including an end wall provided with arecess Afor receiving said .cushend wall being, turned outwardly, upwardly, and inwardly soas to formr a Ashoulder for receiving the end of the lega plurality of arms integral with said end ywall andextending upwardly 'from'the inner edgel of said shoulder, for entering the -recess in the leg and frictionally engaging the side wall thereof.

' inwardlytowards each otherand in abutting i Aion' member, the outer edge portion lof said 8.' `In combination, a cushion tip member,

and means for mounting said tip niember oii a leg or the like provided withpa recess -in its end, saidfmeans comprising a `one-piece mounting member including lan end kwall` provided with recess for receiving said cushion member, vthe outer edge yportion of saidy end wall being turned outwardly, upwardly, and inwardlyso as to vform a shoulder forreceiving the end of the leg, a plurality of arms integral with said end wall and extending upwardly from the inneredge of said shoulder, for ventering the recess in the leg and frictionallyv engaging the side wall thereof, and means interlockedwith the Vperipheryof the cushion member for locking thecushion in said recess; l Y

`WILLIAM A. VOLLMER.

binatioii of a cup-shaped member including 'l l.a bottom wall and a sidewall, therm portion of the side wallbeing turned inwardly, then outwardly, and Vthen rearwardly,` to

- form an inwardly projecting shoulder anda smooth, outwardly facing, convexV edge on the cup, a cushion seated in said cup Vand hav- 

